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My blogging buddy, Siri from Transplanted Baker hosted an exchange program a few months back. The purpose was to share your regional farmers market finds with someone from a different part of the country, or the world!

As any reader of my blog knows, I am a HUGE fan and customer of my local farmer’s market on Anastasia Island, here in Saint Augustine, Florida. But I also love reading about other bloggers’ farmers markets on blogs throughout the world! I think that farmers markets offer such a unique variety of products that you can’t even find in your local grocery store – made by local people, using local ingredients. You can learn a lot about a place from what is grown and produced there, and farmers markets are a great way to find out more about any area!

My exchange buddy was none other that Siri herself! This excited me greatly because I used to live in Norway and I always love getting goodies from Norway that remind me of my time there.

Sometime last week a lovely package with international stamps arrived at my doorstep (I now have a doorstep since moving from the condo!!). Inside was a cute purple box with green tissue paper – and inside were lots of lovely treats!

I got 2 different chocolate bars from Freia – the biggest chocolate company in Norway. Their slogan is “Et lite stykke Norge“, which translates to “A little bit of Norway”. The first variety, and most famous, in the cheery yellow wrapper, is Melkesjokolade, or milk chocolate, and the one in the blue wrapper is Firkløver, a milk chocolate bar with chopped hazelnuts! I can’t wait to eat these!

The next two things in the box that I recognized were two packages – Bergensk Fiskesuppe, Bergen Fish Soup and Raspeballer, or Potetball which are Norwegian potato balls. The soup I have never had before, because Bergen is on the west coast of Norway and I lived in the central part of Norway. However, anyone who knows anything about Norwegian food, knows about fish stews and soups. Generally creamy concoctions with a variety of seafood. YUM. Siri suggests that I cook it with some shrimp or mussels. Local Florida shrimp, here I come!

The Raspeballer are sometimes served with a piece of smoked meat in the inside. But they are often served just as balls of potatoes, sometimes fried, sometimes simmered in broth – all ways delicious! Norwegian comfort food at its best!

Then there were a few products that I did not know about. These were made by local producers close to Siri’s hometown of Førde. The first is Borgny’s Rose Gele, which is rose jam. I am very much looking forward to trying this, as I have never had a chance to try it in the past…anyone have good suggestions for what to eat it on?

Next was another product from the same herb farm that made the rose jam, and it is a mix of beautiful dried herbs – Applemint, Bee Balm and a few others I wasn’t able to translate – Siri, can you help me out with “Temyn” and Ryllik?

Anyway, the mixture smelled so good when I opened the bag that I actually just ate some straight from the bag! But I am pretty sure it is meant to be brewed into tea!

Siri also sent me a few post cards – one of the town of Førde where you can actually see her house! and also of a painting of birch trees (how did she know those were my favorite!) by a very well known painter from Sunnfjord named Nikolai Astrup (1880- 1928). The trees are from his small farm that overlooks a lake. He kept this farm as a way to create traditional and picturesque fodder for his paintings. The farm is now run by a historical society that uses it as a museum to display his work.

Anyway, I really want to thank Siri for all of these thoughtful gifts and would love to exchange again with you in the future! Thanks for putting this together!

What a wonderful exchange! I wouldn’t have a clue what to use the rose jam on, but my first instinct was to think about goat cheese. Maybe that’s just a reflection of my fondness for goat cheese, but it sounds like it would be a nice pairing.

How cool! I always love to look at the way the packaging and marketing on foods from other places differs from ours. The rose jam and the herb blend sound just amazing!

Maybe the rose jam would be good with….chocolate? Perhaps you could make some homemade Turkish Delight or Turklsh Delight bar cookies. It might also be good melted down with some honey and poured over figs.

Well aren’t you sweet for making such a long and nice post about the exchange…

My round-up should be up on my site within the next week, just waiting for everyone to still receive their packages.

As for the rose gel, my first thought was scones. But nothing with a really distinct flavor, because the gel is pretty subtle and you want that to shine through rather than be overpowered by something like ginger or chocolate. I do like the idea of melting it into milk, though. Late night snack???

My very curious (and rather observant) eyes are wondering if that original Freya bar wasn’t already busted into and devoured before you got around to shooting your goodies. Hmm….wouldn’t blame you for not waiting.

I’m so happy for you. Getting surprises in the mail is always so much fun. Norwegian food..sounds tempting. I have two extra author copies of the Aprovecho cookbook that I could give away. Tell me what I’m supposed to do (and how) and I’ll get this out. Sounds like fun.

Were you affected by the tornado that went through in Florida? I hope not. It sounded terrible.

What a fun event this is and we get to know so many new things.
Maybe you can use your rose jam on Mahalebi as we call it in Cyprus, (in Lebanese I think it is called Mouhallabieh) and it is a creme I usually serve with rose cordial. I think a rose panna cotta would also be great.

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Thank you so much for all your comments. I enjoy reading each and every single one of them. Please keep them coming because I do appreciate the feedback and I apologize that I can't respond to everyone individially. See you in the blogosphere!